I made this cover using some of the fabrics from Jacqueline Paton's irresistibly cute Harvest Town range, found at a little quilting shop in the town where my parents live, and some rusty coloured satiny stuff I'd had stashed away for years (quite literally). The pattern is based on the technique described recently by Elizabeth at Oh Fransson!, but mine's ended up a little bittier as I started with smaller scraps and winged it. The next one will have larger panels - oh yes, there will be another.
Autumn brings the colours I love the most, and I have an enormous soft spot for this style of folk art, born from the decorative painting I used to do when we lived in upstate New York and I had an entire loft devoted permanently to crafty pursuits.We lived in a converted white clapboard chapel and I would hide away in the roof at the top of the spiral staircase and paint and sew and weave. Sigh.
Edited to add: I found a picture of our old chapel house here. I cried when we left it, even though I was very happy to be coming back to the UK. It was a wonderful place to live.
But seriously, who wouldn't want to live here?
Or here?
And how I wish we had a pumpkin stand in our village - maybe I should set one up!
How pretty! I love the effect of the smaller pieces - it looks a bit like a traditional "crazy quilt."
ReplyDeleteThere are pumpkin (and apple) roadside stands everywhere in my part of rural Massachusetts. Definitely a sign of the autumn season :)
We brought our (only) pumpkin home from the allotment today so I'm feeling very autumnal. Love the cushion, such perfect fabric, who wouldn't want a red barn.x
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved this pattern.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I have serious envy over the fact that you have lived in a white-painted chapel...
Oh! A folk art painter too! Is there no end to your talents?
ReplyDeleteThat is really gorgeous DC. And a lofty crafty part of your past revealed too. Have a good weekend, Ax
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, I think I'd cry if I had to leave a house like that too! Cushion looks fab!
ReplyDeleteThe cushion cover is adorable! Love those houses, sheep and pumpkins !
ReplyDeleteWell goodness me - that chapel!! Cor.
ReplyDeletePumpkins! I would have cried to leave that house too. Show us yer folk art DC!
ReplyDeleteIt's been 99 degrees here today. I'm not feeling Autumnal. Plus I haven't even got around to making a single set of pillow covers, let alone a seasonal set...
ReplyDeleteThat fabric is lovely, though.
Seasonal cushion covers...Yikes ! I'm lucky to have clean cushions covers....
ReplyDeleteI love your use of the rusty coloured satiny stuff !!
i did change my cushion covers last year and made snuggly soft ones! I love your cushion and the fabric is right up my street!!
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Oh my! I'm in love with that chapel house. No wonder it inspired you to paint and weave and sew.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like one of the most fantastic places you could live; it also makes autumn love even more understandable!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with your cushion cover. I never would have been able to match all the pieces up!
ReplyDeleteAnd I so want to move into your chapel. Reminds me of Williamstown. Sigh.
K x
I don't know where you live but we have loads of pumpkin stands up in our corner of North Norfolk! I'll get a picture of them soon. Love the cushion by the way.
ReplyDeleteLove your autumn pillow, Miss Martha Stewart ;)!
ReplyDeleteAnd that chapel home of yours is a dream. I'd have cried too.
Blessings,
G
What a beautiful house, how hard it must have been to leave. I'm intrigued to know more about your painting days...and I love the technique you used for your cushion cover.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post Val! I've never really "got" autumn and pumpkins etc - probably because nowadays it's all about stupid halloween and less about the wonderful harvest festivals we used to have as a child where we actually took "food" into school for the church service (nowadays the children are just asked for money - no connection to the concept of harvest at all!). But I'm off to follow up the link to where you used to live. So glamorous living in the US! Locket xx
ReplyDeleteoh wow! I would have cried leaving that house too!!!
ReplyDeleteI have always admired people that had cushions for different seasons...
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid Mr M would think me mad.
A permanent crafting loft! In an adorable old chapel!! Oh, I would have cried buckets too. Did you not even consider loading the building onto a ship and hauling it to the Old Country??
ReplyDeleteLove those cushions, almost as much as I am loving that autumn has arrived!
Wow, how cool would it be to live in that chapel? Love your pillow -- very cool piecing!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - that chapel. I don't know how you left it! You know I love that cushion and it's even more lovely in real life.
ReplyDeleteLook at that chapel! How incredible that you got to live there! I would have cried too :)
ReplyDeleteDifferent life, different city, same me -
ReplyDeleteAfter a long summer hiatus I am back and blogging. Expect more wacky face painting, luminously iced cakes and general slightlynoodles-ness!
Please drop by for a spot of tea,
Yours truly,
Slightlynoodles Esq.
I love your folksy style painting, very New England. That chapel is amazing, I'd cry to leave it too but the UK is lucky to have you back :)
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